Bleach: A Second Chance
by Yu-Shin Chen
Summary: She was once a loving sister,an excellent healer,a great fighter.An incident years before left her in a coma.When a project goes awry,she finds herself once again involved.Will she be willing to throw away who she is for a brother she can't even remember?
1. Goodbye, Masumi

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Disclaimer 2: I do not own the opening and ending songs (D-Technolife by Uverworld and Dearest by Ayumi Hamasaki) Please note that they are only parts of the songs.

Note: This story is strictly an AU.

Note 2: This is a rewritten version of the original Bleach: A Second Chance. This story seemed to fit the personalities of certain characters.

Note 3: If you like Kenpachi, I'm not sure if you'd like this story very much.

Time: One year after the Soul Society Arc

* * *

**Prologue**

Byakuya traveled the halls of the Soul Society's infirmary. He carried a wreath of paper flowers. As he walked, people greeted him with salutes and "Good morning, Captain Kuchiki."

Finally, he made it to the room he'd been searching for, but someone else was already there.

"Lieutenant, hand me that chain." Came the voice of Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya.

"Yes sir." Said Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto.

"Captain Hitsugaya," Byakuya greeted them respectfully, "Lieutenant Matsumo."

"Ah, Captain Kuchiki," Rangiku said lazily, "Fancy seeing you here."

"Yes," Toshiro commented, turning to look at him. He was standing on a chair, hanging a long chain of paper cranes.

"I'm going on a mission with a few other captains and some men from their squads." Byakuya explained, "I'd hoped to visit here before I left."

"I see." Toshiro said.

There were fresh flowers in white vases covering every table. Balloons and bears sat amongst the flowers. Chains and links of paper cranes and flowers hung from the roof and walls. On the wall was a beautiful sketch picture of the girl, her hair down for once. It was like a moment captured into a sketch; the girl was turning around, as if her hair was swirling around her, a bright and beautiful smile across her visage, eyes warm and loving. Around it hung paper cranes and flowers; under it was a table with flowers and balloons.

Byakuya stared down at the beautifully pale girl laying in the bed. He hung the wreath above her bed, like a dream catcher of sorts. He stepped back slightly, watching her sleep. If only she were just asleep…

"I think people are already inside, Kenny!"

Captain Kenpachi Zaraki and his Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi walked into the room. Byakaya, Toshiro, and Rangiku did their best to hide their disgust. Kenny was carrying a bouquet of flowers, which he promptly and crudely dropped at the foot of the bed, at the girl's feet.

"Oh, Kenny, you're so thoughtful!" Yachiru exclaimed.

"What're you doing here, Captain Zaraki?" Toshiro asked.

"I always come here before a big mission." Kenpachi answered, grinning at them, "I'll see you at the meeting before, Captain Kuchiki."  
"He's going on that mission too?" Rangiku asked.

"That's right!" Yachiru answered her with a loud, cheerful shout, "Me too!"

"Hm…" Kenpachi's eyes roamed over the cranes and flowers and then to the chain in Toshiro's hand, "Paper cranes. How juvenile. Hoping for that one wish, are we?" Kenpachi chuckled.

"What was that!?" Toshiro questioned angrily. As usual, he hated being under minded as a child. His anger only made Kenpachi chuckle more.

"See you later." Kenpachi, still chuckling, left with Yachiru perched on his shoulder.

Byakuya stared after him, a glare on his usually expressionless face.

* * *

_**Every time I see him, he fills me with such loathe. But normally I can hold it back. But to actually see him here, at Masumi's hospital room. It was the last straw; that was where I drew the line. I could tell Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Matsumoto did not enjoy his company here. To see him have the audacity to even come to this room, it was maddening, angering:  
It makes me furious…**_

* * *

Ienai itami kanashimi de kizu tsuita kimi yo  
Kesenai kako mo seoi atte ikou ikiru koto wo nage dasanai de  
Oh!!

Tsunaida kimi no te wo

Itsuka ushinatte shimau no kana  
Usurete iku egao to kimi wo mamoritai kara  
Hibiku boku wo yobu koe sae kare  
Toki ni sou kaze ni kaki kesaretatte  
Kimi wo mitsuke dasu

Ienai itami kanashimi de kizu tsuita kimi  
Mou waraenai nante hito girai nante kotoba sou iwanai de  
Mienai mirai ni okoru koto subete ni imi ga aru kara  
Ima wa sono mama de ii kitto kizukeru toki ga kuru daro

Oh!!  
You and me, two are spoken  
Oh!!  
Itsuka wakari aeru kara

_Bleach  
**A Second Chance**_

Chapter One  
Goodbye, Masumi

* * *

_**Over 200 years ago…**_

Byakuya, Toshiro, Jushiro, and several other captains and their lieutenants were walking to a restaurant within the Seireitei to eat a late night dinner and possibly drink some sake, just to relax a bit after that days stressful work. They chatted amongst each other, the night peaceful and quiet. It was then that they noticed Masumi.

"Hey, Masumi!" Toshiro called to her.

Masumi Yamada was a beautiful girl with large, midnight blue eyes, full of wisdom. Her hair was extremely long, tied into two braided rings, one at each side of her head. She turned to them, her little brother Hanataro asleep in her arms, "Hello, Captain Hitsugaya! Good evening to all of you!"

"Why don't you join us for dinner?" Jushiro asked.

Masumi smiled at him, "I'd love to, Captain Ukitake, but I've got to bring my little brother home. He's had quite the eventful day."

"Aw, come on Masumi," Kaien grinned, "I'm sure he'll stay asleep through the whole time. It's not like we're going to a bar or something."

"Yes, Masumi," Retsu agreed, "You should come with us to relax a bit."

Masumi sighed, smiling down at her little brother, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to bring him along. On any account, he'd freak out if he woke up and I wasn't there after today."

"Is that a yes?" Byakuya looked at her inquiringly.

Masumi nodded with a smile. Masumi walked forward, quickly being surrounded by people, all of them talking once more, although a little more quietly. Masumi has insisted they allow Hanataro sleep. Byakuya walked nearby too, although he talked less than most of them.

They went to a restaurant and got a private room, just for themselves. Work was not a topic tonight. Everyone wanted to pretend they didn't have jobs or worries and just simply relax with friends and comrades. Hearty laughter mixed in with the drawl of the conversation.

Masumi sat, mostly listening to her friends chattering, cradling Hanataro in her lap. A smile crossed over her face. The atmosphere was warm and inviting. Her thoughts began to wander towards the past. Her eyes became a tad glazed. She looked down at Hanataro, who truly was sleeping through the whole of it.

"Hey, Masumi," Kaien spoke.

Masumi's head snapped up, a look of surprise crossing her face. All talk paused as they looked up at her questioningly.

"Are you okay?" Kaien questioned. "You kinda spaced out for a second there."

Masumi, still smiling, nodded, "I'm fine. Just…thinking, I guess."

"Bout what?"

Masumi laughed lightly, "Really, I'm alright. It's okay."

The whole room burst into laughter. Masumi laughed as well. After dinner, they began to walk back home. People began to split up, saying goodbye as they went to there houses or dorms.

The group that was left consisted of Byakuya, Toshiro, Kaien, Rangiku, Jushiro, Retsu, and Isane. With, Masumi still carrying Hanataro. Masumi's mind was beginning to wander, as it did often, almost drowning out the conversation between them.

"Masumi," A voice called to her. It was rough and drawling.

Masumi's head jerked up, and they all stopped.

A gruff and deep laugh boomed over, "Guess what? You can't kick me out of that training facility anymore. I can go anytime I please and do whatever I feel like!"

Masumi's eyes narrowed into a glared, "Kenpachi."

"Kenpachi? Who's Kenpachi?" Kaien questioned.

"He's a jerk that was trying to kill students." Toshiro answered. "Masumi kicked him out cuz he was breaking rules."

"He defeated Squad Eleven's captain." Masumi said, hanging her head, her hair shadowing her face, "He's...Dead..."

"That's right." Kenpachi grinned.

"What is it that you want with me!?" Masumi questioned, "Why do you keep following me!?"

"I want a fight." Kenpachi said.

"Absolutely not." Isane said to Masumi.

"Yeah, he's a captain!" Rangiku agreed, "His level outstrips yours far too much!"

"Would you prefer that I have that cute little girl from this afternoon?" Kenpachi grinned, "Or maybe I should fight that little blonde boy."

"Momo…Izuru…" Masumi whispered. Turning to Kaien, Masumi said, "Kaien, please take Hanataro."

"You're not serious!" Kaien whispered to her.

"I am." Masumi answered "I can't let him hurt Momo or Izuru. Please support my decision."

Kaien frowned but nodded, taking Hanataro, "Good luck."

"Masumi," Jushiro said, "What are you thinking? He can't possibly hurt Shuhei's students."

"I won't take chances." Masumi said, walking forward. "Ready, Kenpachi?"

"I'm always ready!" Kenpachi drew his sword with a grin.

Masumi drew her sword as well, a nice sleek katana with a red tassel at the end. They all showed discomfort; none of them wanted Masumi to get hurt.

Kenpachi lunged forward again, slashing at Masumi. She dodged and blocked, watching her steps. Kenpachi caught her in a sword lock, the grinding of their swords so intense, it was making sparks.

"Hey, you're pretty good!" Kenpachi said.

Masumi only glared.

Kenpachi swung his sword, Masumi flipping backwards. Kenpachi kept hacking at her, her continuing to flip, until she lost her balance. She landed, but her leg slipped on the ground, her sword flying out of her hand. Kenpachi launched another attack; Masumi rolled away. Kenpachi's sword hit the ground, causing a deep craterous dent.

Masumi stood, running to her sword. She grabbed her sword, standing straight and facing Kenpachi. Kenpachi came at her with lightning speed, his sword coming down now. Masumi's eyes widened, raising her sword to block just in time.

Suddenly, they all felt it. The spiritual pressure they were both letting out at this exact moment. Hanataro, jolted from his sleep, screamed in pain. Kaien, eyes wide, looked down.

"Hanataro," Kaien whispered, pulling further away from the fight. "You'll be safer away from the battle.

"Sister!!" He screamed. He looked so scared, his eyes wide. "Sister! Let me go! My Sister!!" Hanataro pushed at Kaien, struggling. Wriggling free, he ran forward. The spiritual pressure weighed down on him; he slammed onto the ground. Pain crossed his visage, but he still crawled forward.

Masumi chanced a glance backwards. Her eyes widened as she shouted, "Hanataro! Stay back! Don't come any closer!"

"But sister!" Hanataro said, moving forward. He was suddenly hit by the full onslaught of their pressure. It was too much for him, and he blacked out.

"Hanataro!" Masumi shouted.

She pulled back, dodged a slash by Kenpachi, and then ran to her little brother.

"Hanataro…" Masumi looked at him worriedly. She picked him up gently in one arm, moving him away from the area. "Hanataro, stay here with Kaien." She whispered to him, "Please take care of my little brother, Kaien."

"Uh…Alright…" Kaien took Hanataro, cradling him. He was small in his arms, resting, possibly unconscious.

"If he awakens, please don't allow him to see the fight."

"Are you ready, now?" Kenpachi asked crudely.

"Yes." Masumi said, eyes narrowing.

"Good."

Kenpachi lunged forward yet again. This time, Masumi dodged and slashed at him. He dodged the blow, and then dealt one to Masumi's side, blood seeping into her clothes. She winced in pain.

"You're in over your head." Kenpachi said.

Kenpachi continued in this harsh form, Masumi only able to dodge some of the attacks.

"Sister!" Hanataro had awakened.

"Come on, kid." Kaien said, walking away.

"No! My sister!" Hanataro struggled, kicking and clawing once more. Kaien lost his grip, Hanataro running back to the scene. He was just in time to see the final blow. They all watched in horror as Kenpachi raced forward, blade coming up.

_Blood splattered the pavement._

"_**SISTER**_!!!!!!!" Hanataro screamed.

* * *

_**Masumi knew that the fight was in vain. She knew she would never be able to defeat Kenpachi, not at her current state. She wasn't strong enough, but Masumi always cherished every student, even ones that she'd never taught, even ones that she never knew, because that was just the sort of person she was. Masumi would never allow Kenpachi to hurt any student as long as she could, because that was just the sort of person she was. And we knew, we all knew, that she would forever love her little brother Hanataro, who was the most special little boy, brother, and soon-to-be Soul Reaper in her eyes; that was just the kind of person Masumi was, is, and will be. **_

_**But we never have and never will stop hoping that she would one day open her eyes once more…**_

* * *

An eighteen or nineteen year old girl walked into the Urahara Shop. Her long, shiny black hair fell down to her butt. Her eyes were pleasant and serene, and a beautiful midnight blue. She wore a simple no sleeved white sundress with a nice, white hat. The dress showed off how slim she was. She wore a smile, but if one would stare and speculate for awhile, they would've noticed how lonely her smile was. The light from the windows shined on her, illuminating her.

Urahara looked up from where he was sitting. Every now and then he'd glance up at her; in a way, she seemed familiar.

The girl walked through the shelves of candy, every now and then getting a bag and filling it.

"Hey, you!" The bell on the door rang again. A large, tall man walked angrily up to the girl.

Urahara watched in fascinated shock.

The man's footsteps were heavy, loud enough to be heard everywhere in the shop. But the girl only continued to ignore him, as if not hearing anything at all. She simply kept going through candy.

"Hey, I was talking to you!" The man roughly grabbed her arm. He pulled her to him until she faced the ugly man.

The girl only looked up at him calmly, "Let go of me."

"When did I say you could leave, huh!? When!?"

"I told you to let go of me." The girl said in a firmer voice; something in her eyes had lit on fire, her serene eyes now fierce.

"Don't tell me what to do!" The man started to shake her. Her hat went flying off, and the basket of bags of candy she had dropped from her hands. It hit noisily on the floor, candy spilling everywhere.

Urahara stood, intent on intervening. He was not one to like female brutality.

The girl raised a hand, grasping the man's tightly, stopping his shaking, "Let go of me now."

"Or what?" The man sneered.

"This." The girl's other hand came up to the arm her other hand was already holding. She bent it back, then, steeling herself, the girl flipped the man. He slammed into the floor, hard. He had been knocked unconscious. The girl sighed, kneeling down and picking up her hat.

"Are you alright?" Urahara asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." The girl looked up at Urahara, smiling. The fire in her eyes was fading, to be replaced with her serene eyes, a cross between peace and fierce.

Urahara froze, his eyes widening. He now remembered where he'd seen her before and he hesitated. He nearly gaped at her; so long ago had he seen her. Urahara was frozen in shock; could it be?

'_Masumi_…'

* * *

_**To Be Continued…**_

* * *

Hontou ni taisetsu na mono igai  
Subete sutete shimaetara  
Ii no ni ne  
Genjitsu wa tada zankoku de

Sonna toki itsu datte  
Me o tojireba  
Waratte'ru kimi ga iru

Aa itsu ka eien no  
Nemuri ni tsuku hi made  
Dou ka sono egao ga  
Taema naku aru you ni

Ah deatta ano koro wa  
Subete ga bukiyou de  
Toomawari shita kedo  
Tadori tsuita n da ne


	2. Power of Remembrance

Note: I realize that all the timings that I used in chapter one is off, but you get the idea, right? So just um…ignore it, I guess? Anyway, I'm so sorry I haven't updated in forever!!! Sorry, sorry, sorry!!!!

* * *

_Bleach**  
A Second Chance**_

Chapter Two  
Power of Remembrance

_A girl with long brown hair and bright purple eyes giggled as she ran through the Academy, searching for someone. Her eyes fell upon a black haired boy who was sitting alone out in the garden, staring at the grass as a butterfly fluttered by. She laughed again, smiling to herself, "Hana! I finally found you!"_

_The shy boy jumped when the exuberant girl seized him by the shoulders. "Haruka! What was that for?"_

_Haruka giggled again, "Sorry, Hanataro, I was just so happy today. Just two more years, Hana, two more years and we'll be graduating!"_

_Hanataro smiled at this, laughing with her, "Yeah, I know, but why are you so excited today?"_

"_I was watching a demonstration today." Haruka answered, "It made me so excited! It makes the wait so unbearable. I want to be a full class Shinigami now! I can't wait to apply to one of the divisions!"_

"_How can you be so excited about school…" Hanataro sighed. "To be truthful, I get nervous even thinking about that…"_

"_Why is that, Hana?"_

"_Well…I don't know…I guess it's because I don't know what I want to do after the Academy…"_

_She smiled brightly at him, "I felt that way once too."_

"_Honestly?"_

_She nodded vigorously at him, "Mm hm. But it helps if you give yourself a goal to look forward to achieving."_

"_A goal? Well, Haru, what's your goal?"_

_Haruka's smile became softer and shyer, her eyes softening as well, "I want…I want to someday be on the same squad as _**Him**_…"_

"_Him? Who's him?" Hanataro questioned, confused by her strange behavior._

"_I was so glad today because he did a demonstration for my class." She continued in her mysterious, soft tone, "I want to be on the same squad as him. I want to be someone that he can rely on, someone he can look at to be there for him, to watch his back."_

"_Who, Haruka?" He asked again, this time more urgently._

"_Byakuya. Byakuya Kuchiki." She answered finally, "I've wanted that since before I even made it into the Academy. Now it isn't just a goal. I will be on the same squad as he, and I will be his confidant. I know I will." Her eyes and tone suddenly changed, returning back to normal as she suddenly turned to her friend, "What about you, Hanataro? If you choose something to look forward to accomplishing, you'll become less apprehensive."_

"…_I don't know…"_

"_Come on, Hana!" She exclaimed loudly, upsetting several people who were in the garden as well. She grabbed him by the shoulders again, shaking him, "You've got to have some sort of clue. Otherwise why did you even want to become a Shinigami in the first place?!?!"_

"_Well…"_

"_WELL!?"_

"_Well…I entered the Academy because my sister was a teacher here…A long time ago…"_

_Haruka's voice became softer once more, though it did not carry the same dreaminess from before. She placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "You mean…Masumi Yamada…? Yeah…I heard about her…"_

_Hanataro nodded, looking down at the grass beneath their feet. His large blue eyes were saddened by the memory of his sister, tears beginning to fill his eyes. "I…I want to become someone she would have been proud of…My sister went through so many hardships to make sure we could live well…I just want to make her proud…If she knew that her efforts hadn't been wasted, then maybe, just maybe, she'd wake up again…"_

"_Then that's your goal." Haruka said firmly, "She was a healer, right? Well, you can become the best healer she's ever seen! Make her proud, Hana! Make her so proud that she has to wake up! Make her so proud that she'll have a second chance to live!"

* * *

_

Hanataro sighed as he left Masumi's hospital room, only briefly looking back over his shoulders. He felt that empty feeling inside of himself again, like all he could feel was pain and despair. He was a Shinigami now, but still she hadn't awakened. The doctor's had told him each time he asked that she still had the possibility to recover, and that they were quite puzzled as to why she still remained asleep but never give up hope. And yet, with those same encouraging mouths, behind his back they would whisper that after such a long time they should just take her off life support, that she was just taking up space.

_Make her so proud that she'll have a second chance to live!_

Hanataro sighed again, this time to brace himself as he walked out of the infirmary. He had been assigned recently to assist captains like Byakuya and Kenpachi during their mission in the Material World. "Okay, Sister." Hanataro said to himself as he walked towards the meeting area, "I'm going to make you proud. You'll see. I'll wake you up!"

* * *

"Um, are you alright?" The girl asked Kisuke as the blonde man gaped at her.

Kisuke snapped out of his initial reverie and asked quickly, "Say, have we by any chance met before?"

"Is that supposed to be a pick up line?" She giggled, her blue eyes smiling in amusement.

Urahara's eyes briefly wandered to the man. He had gotten up and was slinking towards the door. It was then that Kisuke realized something that shocked him: the man was a ghost. It didn't make sense! How could…How could a human touch, let alone see, a ghost?! Unless…Unless she really was…

Urahara was moving before he had time to realize it. He seized the girl, hugging her tightly, "Masumi, it is you!"

The girl froze in his tight grasp, her eyes wide with shock. She pushed back against his chest, forcing him to let her go, "Wh-what are you doing?!" She demanded, her blue eyes large with disbelief. "Who's Masumi?"

Urahara gaped at her for a moment before regaining his composure. "Sorry about that." He said, "I hope you'll forgive me for grabbing you like that…I thought that you were someone else…"

"I see…" She said, still a little doubtful. "I'm Mayumi, Mayumi Yamato."

"You look just like her." Kisuke said, "Just like Masumi."

"Who is Masumi? Did you know her well?"

Kisuke sighed with a nostalgic smile, taking his bucket hat off and running a hand through his hair, "Masumi Yamada…I guess you could say that. Pretty much everyone where I came from knew Masumi. She was the sweetest person you'd ever meet. She was always so calm."

"What happened to her?" Mayumi asked.

"She was in an accident years ago and fell into a coma." He answered, "And she hasn't awakened since then."

"I'm so sorry…" Mayumi whispered softly, her serene eyes troubled by what he was saying.

"That's why I was so surprised when you came in today." Urahara explained, "I guess I let myself hope that she'd finally woken up."

"You must miss her terribly." Mayumi commented quietly, "I can tell by that look on your face that the two of you were good friends."

"Masumi was good friends with everyone." He shook his head, "We all loved her dearly. We were devastated when she fell into that coma. I guess…that was one thing we disliked about Masumi. Out of all of her friends and loved ones, everyone was treated the same, as good friends, except for three people. Her two best friends and her little brother."

"She had a little brother?" Mayumi's eyes perked up, "I always wished I had a little brother. I'm an only child, though..."

Urahara nodded, "He…hasn't been treated too nicely since she fell into a coma. I think secretly we all resented him because of his ties to Masumi. My only regret dealing with the matter of Masumi is that I wish I had taken care of him better. I don't think he'll ever forgive us."

"Well, there's still time, right?" Mayumi said, "There's still time for you to treat him better. I'm sure he'd give you a second chance, if you asked nicely, to make things right."

"A second chance, huh?"

Mayumi smiled brightly as she nodded, "That's right. Everyone deserves a second chance."

Kisuke's eyes averted back to the ghost man, who had disappeared already. He looked down at the girl smiling at him, "What about…you know…that guy? I mean, he just up an attacked you."

"I could call the police on him, for stalking me." She said, looking in the direction that he had left, "But…He's nothing that I can't handle, and like I said, everyone deserves a second chance."

'Hmm…' Kisuke thought to himself, 'I guess she hasn't realized that that guy was a ghost…'

"I really must be going now." Mayumi said, "I teach formal dances to younger students, and I can't be late to class, especially since I'm the teacher."

"Ah…Leaving so soon?" Kisuke asked, wanting to remain in her presence just a moment longer.

"I'll be back tomorrow, I promise." Mayumi said over her shoulder as she left the shop, "And then you can tell me more about Masumi, her brother, and her two best friends."

* * *

Byakuya walked back to his office in the Squad 6 barracks, having just remembered he'd forgotten to do some paperwork. If he hurried now, he would be able to make it the meeting on time. He only wished that Renji had remembered to do his paper work as well. Byakuya sighed; he could hear them arguing even before he opened the door. Byakuya was speaking about his Lieutenant Renji Abarai and his newly appointed Third Seat Haruka Kobayashi, of course.

"Look, I don't have time for paperwork." Renji argued with the elegant girl. Haruka's hair had since then grown longer, and would've reached her thighs if it weren't for the fact that part of her silky locks were in a bun with the rest hanging out like a ponytail. "You're gonna make me late to the meeting!"

"Oh, no you don't, Renji!" Haruka grabbed the taller man by the shoulder and forced him to sit in his desk, her usually calm purple eyes set ablaze with frustration, "You're not shirking off your duties this time. It's your own fault for not planning ahead. And FYI, Renji, _you're _the one who's making _me_ late to the meeting!" Byakuya cleared his throat as he walked in, alerting the two that he was in the room, as he walked to his own desk. Haruka's entire demeanor changed almost instantaneously. She was now smiling brightly, her purple eyes shining softly, "Good morning, Captain Kuchiki. I'm a little surprised to see you this morning; I would've thought that you'd have gone to the captains' meeting already."

"Yes, I had planned to, but I realized that I had some paperwork I'd left unfinished."

"I see, Captain, it's so unlike you to forget." Renji rolled his eyes at her comments, to which she promptly shot him a glare, before turning back to their captain.

"Yes, well," Byakuya said as he bent over a small pile of paperwork, "Today I had…some things on my mind."

Haruka nodded in understanding, "It is, after all, the captains who have the most responsibilities."

"Have you finished organizing the squad for while we're gone?"

"Yes, sir." She replied confidently, "I've also arranged things so that the paperwork and duties that normally fall on the captain and lieutenant of a squad won't pile up. I've had all of them evenly dispensed out to the other squad members, supervised of course by the rest of the Seated Officers. When we return, it should be as if we'd never left."

Byakuya looked up at this, pleasantly surprised, "Well done, Haruka. Hm? Haruka, you look tired."

Haruka blushed out of shame, looking at the floor, "No, of course not, Captain. I'm just trying to prove that I deserved this promotion."

"Don't lie," Byakuya said, indicating the newly forming bags under the beautiful girl's eyes. Against her pale skin they were easy enough for someone like him to see, "I promoted you because I felt you deserved it, and over the passed month you've done more than prove me right. I want you to take it easy on this mission, alright?"

"Y-yes sir!" Haruka said softly, her blush deepening, "Thank you, Captain. You're as observant as ever."

"How come you can't talk to me like that?" Renji questioned from his corner, his face suggesting that he was pouting, "You never call me 'Lieutenant'!!"

"That's because the Captain actually does his work!" Haruka shouted back. "If you did something around here other than swing your sword and eat, then perhaps I would reconsider, but you haven't lately, _**Renji**_! The pile up of paperwork is precisely why you're going to make us late today!"

"Okay, okay, geez…" The fiery haired man grumbled. "I'm doing my paperwork, see?"

"For once." Haruka said in disappointment. She sighed and went the counter to the far side of the office, where she began to make tea. She poured the tea into two cups, steam rising over the liquid as she walked back to the desks. She sat the first cup in front of Byakuya and walked over to Renji, who was currently struggling to understand just what the paper was asking him to write. She set the cup down in front of the lieutenant and held her hand out, "Let me see it." She said, "The least I can do is help you understand." Renji handed her the piece of paper as he began to drink his tea, burning his tongue on the hot liquid, trying to hide the fact that he was in pain. "I see the confusing part." Haruka said after reading the paper, "The wording is a little off. It looks as if they want you to tell what happened on a specific night, but really they want you to just write an overview of your role in this mission."

Renji took the piece of paper back and read it once more. "Ah, I see now!" He said, placing it back on the desk. As he began to fill it out he grunted a thank you to the girl.

Haruka simply smiled that dazzlingly gentle smile of hers. Byakuya, who was now finishing the last of papers, had found through observation that there were many sides to his new Third Seat. At a quick glance, her demeanor made her appear to be a curt, strict girl, a hard worker in every sense and took no nonsense. The second side was her temper, her frustration upon finding things not done that should be done, as well as being able to plan and organize. But what most of his squad admired, what he had discovered as well, was her compassionate side. She had a gentler side to her, one with kind eyes and a bright smile, a quality about her that greatly boosted morale. She was always thoughtful, thinking of others way before herself, and was usually the first to lend a helping hand, and the first to defend the other squad members.

"Done!" Renji declared loudly, setting his brush down with a decisive clatter.

Byakuya nodded at the two, "We will meet once the meetings are over."

"Yes, Captain Kuchiki." Haruka nodded as the older man left, watching him go with bright purple eyes.

* * *

"You're like a slave driver." Renji mumbled as the girl forced him out of the office, "We've still got like ten minutes."

"Yes, well, it's better to be early to a meeting than to be late, now isn't it?" She replied dryly, raising a brow at him.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He chuckled.

Haruka grinned along with her Lieutenant, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing of course." He said, "It's just that…It's so obvious!"

"Wh-what's obvious?!" The purple eyed girl demanded, feeling a blush creeping onto her pale face.

"That you're sweet on him." Renji said bluntly, with a twinge of almost bitterness, "I mean, the way you talk to him, that soft look in your eyes, it makes it so obvious!!"

"I-I am _not_ sweet on Captain Kuchiki!" Haruka stuttered, "Take that back, Renji! I just…admire him, that's all. He's a very good captain."

"Yeah, I know he is, but you don't see me actin that way!"

"Sh-shut up!" Haruka's blush deepened. "C-can we just get to the meeting already?!"

Renji, still chuckling, attempted to tease the girl once again, but she answered this with a prompt slap to his muscled arm. Realizing that she'd had enough for today, the two Squad 6 members resorted to simple talk, calming down from the frustrations that occurred earlier that day. Once they had settled down, the two found that it was quite easy to be civil with one another, some would even say comfortable.

After a short while, Renji sighed to himself. The tone of that sigh, one of sadness, seemed to alarm Haruka, for her purple eyes were suddenly on his red ones. "What?" She asked, "What's wrong?"

"Today." He said. "Today's the day she went away."

"The day who went away?" Haruka wondered, "Renji, you aren't making any sense."

"She was my teacher only for a little while." He continued, "Masumi Yamada, but I remember her so vividly…"

* * *

_They were in one of the training rooms, made out of polished wood. The girls and boys were evenly spaced throughout the entire room, each holding a wooden practice sword, though they were all slightly confused. Masumi stood at the head of the room, smiling calmly at her beloved students. Her blue eyes fell on a young Renji, who had just been accepted into the Academy. He felt himself stand a little straighter under her close scrutiny, which most students did._

"_Alright, everyone," She said with her beautiful voice, "You're probably wondering what we're doing here today. I'm going to teach you the proper way to stand when holding a sword. In other words, your sword stance. While most sword stances are generally the same, it is possible to develop your own signature sword stance. For some, this stance will come quite naturally, but for others the stance must be taught and honed. We all learn and grow at different paces, so there's no rush. This is only practice for when you form your own zanpakuto. Now, a sword stance must be powerful, yet nimble. The wielder of a sword must be strong in battle yet able to change positions quickly and effectively in the span of seconds, maybe even less. This balance won't be easy to find or master, but it will happen someday. I will demonstrate to you a general stance, though you must adjust it to make yourself feel comfortable."_

_Masumi was holding a rounded wooden cane of sorts, rather than a wooden practice sword, though they did not understand at this point why. She moved her legs only slightly, holding the cane as if it were a sword, her movements soft and graceful. She held the position for a short while before turning back to her students, "Now, you try."_

_The students attempted to mimic her movements, though their nuance to the stance made them look and feel awkward. Renji, who had spent many nights watching the older students practicing their swordplay outside his dorm window, felt confident that he could mimic her perfectly. His stance was wide and strong, and he felt powerful, like he could crush anything underneath him. Masumi traversed in between her students, helping them to adjust to better stances if need be. Her eyes fell upon Renji, who was smirking at her, his red eyes full of confidence._

_Masumi returned that gaze with her steady blue eyes, "Your stance is a little off, Renji. Your legs are too widely spread."_

"_What? No way!" Renji protested, "This stance is perfect. I feel so…powerful! Isn't that what you said you're supposed to feel?"_

"_And I also said that you must have balance." Masumi replied, "With such a stance you wouldn't be able to move."_

"_Oh yeah?" He replied cockily, "Well, this is going to be my signature sword stance!"_

"_I see." Masumi said, walking by with her cane. In one fluid motion, she hooked it to one of Renji's ankle and quickly swiped it out from under him, an amused smile gracing her face._

_Renji lost him balance immediately, his face slamming into the polished wood below, his classmates giggling in the background. "OW! Dammit!" He shouted as he sat up, rubbing the bruise on his forehead._

"_Stubbornness and a foul mouth will get you killed, Renji." Masumi said, resisting the urge to laugh as well. "I told you your stance lacked balance. You must learn to listen to your elders."_

"_Elders my ass!" He shouted back, "You said before that our ages aren't that far apart! Besides, that _**hurt**_!"

* * *

_

Renji chuckled at the memory, "She certainly had a way of telling you to stop being so stubborn."

"Why is it that…everyone I know has some sort of connection to her?" Haruka wondered aloud.

"What d'ya mean?"

"Well, for example, my best friend Hanataro is Masumi's younger brother. Captain Kuchiki and you both knew her well. And those are just a few of the people I know who knew her."

"Hanataro's Masumi's younger brother?" Renji said in alarm, scratching his head, "Come to think of it…she did mention that she had a younger brother…"

"I for one fail to see what was so wonderful about this woman." Haruka said, "I mean…she sounds just like any normal Shinigami. What made her so special?"

Renji chuckled again, "Do I detect jealousy, Haruka?"

"I'm not jealous!"

"I guess it's just one of those things you have to witness yourself." Renji said, "But one thing's for sure. If you'd met her, you'd never forget her."

* * *

Meanwhile, Byakuya had arrived at his own meeting. Of course, Kenpachi was there, along with Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Head Captain Yamamoto. The room was one of the smaller meeting rooms, for it appeared as if this was all the audience for the meeting. Byakuya quickly strode inside and sat down at one of the chairs, waiting for Yamamoto to begin.

The old man cleared his throat as he said, "We have called you here today for a general briefing of what is to come. As we speak, your lieutenants and Third Seats are being briefed, as well as several members of the 4th Division. During recent monitoring, the 12th Division has discovered something quite alarming. Captain Kurotsuchi, if you will."

"Yes, yes of course." The creepy man slinked forward so that he was standing with Yamamoto, "My research teams have taken note of a very rare incident indeed. It seems that there are an unusually high amount of Hollows swarming a particular human town. I'm sure all of you know this by now. However, the most recent Hollows are quite different from the norm. In fact, it seems as if these Hollows are the results of experiments done to normal Hollows."

"These Hollows," Yamamoto put in, "Are faster, stronger, and in terms of combat smarter than the average Hollow. Mark my words, they will not be easily defeated, even for a captain. Which is why we are dispatching two captains to one area, as well as your lieutenant and Third Seat and a small relief squadron, to add to the shinigami already stationed at Karakura Town."

"These Hollows, however," Mayuri continued, "Seem to have a…limited, time span. At present, the longest one of the technologically engineered Hollows can live is about a week, though someone is creating enough that it doesn't really matter how long they live."

"While Captain Kurotsuchi and his squad will remain behind to research these newly created Hollows," Yamamoto said, "Your duty is to keep the flow of Hollows to a minimum and to protect the citizens, as well as to investigate who is creating them. Cleansing of these unnatural Hollows must be swift for it won't be long before they overwhelm the city. As of yet we do not know the motive of the creator, for he has not made any requests, so all we can assume is that he wishes the annihilation of the souls in this town. The need for additional backup is a possibility, so do not hesitate to call in."

"One more thing before you are relieved," Mayuri said, "I advise you to exercise extreme caution when dealing with these Hollows. In some sightings, it appears as if they are looking for something, or someone."

* * *

A tall man walked into the hospital room of Masumi Yamada. His face was pale, almost paper thin. Everything about him was dark, except his hair was bright blonde and his eyes cold flecks of blue ice. He strode to the bed where she lay motionless, still, so very still. His eyes gleamed as he looked down upon her slim body, taking in the sight of her unmoving body. He grinned as he moved closer, running his hand gently, softly, _lovingly_, over her cheek. Her skin was soft to the touch, like silk, even as he slid it down to her thin neck.

The man chuckled darkly to himself as his hand wrapped around her neck, feeling the faint pulse of blood running through her veins just under his fingertips. If he pressed just a bit harder, he could suffocate her without anyone knowing it. This thought only made him chuckle even more, drawing his hand back to his side. _"Soon, my pretty,"_ He whispered, _"Soon, the power of remembrance will be mine to command, and mine alone."

* * *

_

I do apologize for taking such a long time to update! And I know the whole chapter was a little weird! It's because I'm having a hard time getting into the groove of things, so I do apologize again! Thank you for all the support, and I hope you enjoyed reading! Please review!!


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